Office politics: Making the most of your environment

Knowing how to work the company's political environment can make or break one's career success. Here are some tips for making the best of your environment.

Oh yes,
politics. In business, many regard it as something distasteful, even ugly. They
see it as Machiavellian, often facilitating an environment that condones back
stabbing, gossiping, and sucking up to the boss.

True enough
in many situations; but it can have a good side as well.

Knowing how
to work the company's political environment can make or break one's career
success. It can facilitate the successful launch of a new initiative.

Unfortunately,
there are rarely any formalized ways to get a good read on how things really
work in your organization. I was discussing this recently with a new
client, who, like many in large infrastructures, was finding it hard to
navigate the right path. My first suggestion to him was to not bother going to
the Operating Manual or the HR Departments Policy books. And that Mission
Statement hanging on the wall in the reception area? Not likely.

These are
all statements put together to show how things are supposed to work in an ideal world. They may bear little or no
resemblance to what's needed in the day to day life of your company.

That said,
in almost all organizations, there are a few tactics and approaches that can
help anyone become more successful when working through levels of management
and various departments. Here are some tips I've seen work effectively:

Mentors

Mentors are
still the best way to get a handle on what's really going on in any
organization. Doesn't matter if your mentor is not the same gender—it can
actually be better for you if (s)he's not. Insider mentors can give you a fast
understanding of the company's culture; but if they aren't available, the use
of outsider mentors can give you new perspective on your style and how business
works in general. (An outside mentor is someone who doesn't work in the same
company; but has enough experience overall to be a great counsel.) I think
everyone can benefit from having a confident with whom they can discuss the
craziness of the day.

Open-ended questions

Ask a lot of
questions to different people in different sides of the company. And then shut
up. When you hear the perspectives of people in departments or operations other
than yours, it helps you to see the world as they see it and understand what
they deem important. It may be different than what the boss has told you. Ask
peers, old timers at all levels, and superiors. Take notes. Don't interrupt,
you don't need to show how smart or experienced you are--just learn.

Review constantly

Seek
constant feedback from others. Talk about what just took place, that meeting
you just attended, what the last message from corporate really said, how you did in a recent presentation, what is driving
decisions and directives. If this means you have to go out after work to
compare notes, do it. Many great managers fail because they believe that what's
right is what is going to succeed. Not always.

Get buy-in

It's
important to ensure that everyone who may be influenced by your programs or
initiatives is aware of what’s going to happen and feels like they’ve been
involved or at least were able to weigh in with their opinions or
recommendations. Ideally, they’ll be supportive of what you're doing, but at
the very least it may reduce friction which may derail your success. In the
best situation, you may learn something which will ensure the success of the
activity; but even in the worst case where others won’t support you, at least
you’ll know who’s against the program. When people in other arms of the company
don’t agree with you or your plan, they can bring a great project or career to
its knees pretty quickly.

Over-communicate

Keep others
apprised of what you are planning or working on. Organizations hate to be
surprised and often, when they are, it creates a blueprint for failure--personal
or project. In many companies this means having meetings with people you may
not like or respect, but that's just life in the fast lane. If you think that
withholding information will allow you to sneak something past them, think
twice.

If others
don't agree with you, they can quietly derail your plans even after a good
start. And you won't even know what happened.

Credit where credit is due

Guys like to
hog the credit, which gets old and can come back to bite them over time. I
often see yesterday's stars trip and fall, then act surprised that there’s no
one around to help them get back on their feet. On the other hand, women can go
too far the other way--giving the rest of the team so much credit that they
don't get the respect from upper management they deserve for their ideas, work,
and contributions. These women end up watching others, who are less deserving,
get promoted past them. Credit those on your team who deserve it, but don’t
miss an opportunity to take credit for your work as well.

Style--It still counts

How you
present to others can make a big difference in how it’s perceived. Common sense
you say? Maybe, but often we think our presentation (our appearance, our use of
PowerPoint, our buzzwords and jargon) will be universally accepted. It might;
but sometimes those in other departments or companies have preconceived
opinions about you or your "kind."

Ever heard
someone say something like:

"Oh you know
those network admin people ... they’ve always got a reason why something can't be
done they way we ask for it." Or perhaps:

"Well she’s from
home office; they’re trained to say no to everything." And of course,
there's this:

"Those guys at
XYZ company think the world starts and stops with their software. Somebody
needs to give them a new perspective."

So, get to
know the audience you are dealing with--let them see you in a light that will
help ensure understanding between you and better the chance of success.

In summary,
politics will occur anytime there are three or more people in a conversation.
Recognize that, and use a few of these tips to try to get yourself, your point
of view, or your new ideas brought into play.

About John McKee

John M. McKee is the founder and CEO of BusinessSuccessCoach.net, an international consulting and coaching practice with subscribers in 43 countries. One of the founding senior executives of DIRECTV, his hands-on experience includes leading billion d...

Full Bio

John M. McKee is the founder and CEO of BusinessSuccessCoach.net, an international consulting and coaching practice with subscribers in 43 countries. One of the founding senior executives of DIRECTV, his hands-on experience includes leading billion dollar organizations and launching start-ups in both the U.S. and Canada. The author of two published books, he is frequently seen providing advice on TV, in magazines, and newspapers.

I only hear the use of the word politics perjoratively as if it is always the negative or evil side of business. The reality is that all companies have political processes; they vary by degree of effectiveness. The act of governing and decision making is the very definition of politics.
I think the biggest challenge in any organization is getting team members to recognize that absolutes are imaginary. Robin's point that irrationality depends on which side of the decision you stand on is too often true. Group human behavior is complex, just as the path a final decision can take.
Robin refers to the "REAL ways thing get done in an organization, as contrasted with the presumed ways epitomized in mission statements and policies ..." shouldn't be interpreted as dismissive of mission statements or policies. My experience with "politically effective" organizations that embrace a mission statement with appropriate policies didn't result in Jim Jones koolaid clubs: It aligned, but not blindly.
Organization do change over time, and Robin correctly points out the need to evaluate customs and beliefs. Understanding how those customs and beliefs arose will help the organization adapt to change. And effective politics is at the heart of effective change.

Excellent points about:
(1) The need to make whatever you do work in your own organization's (political) environment, which I include in my project management seminars as an often-overlooked critical success factor, necessary but not sufficient for project success.
(2) Distinguishing the REAL ways things get done in organizations, as contrasted with the presumed ways epitomized in mission statements and policies and procedures manuals. In my process improvement seminars, I emphasize that many/most initiatives fail because they aim to change the presumed process, which often isn't really happening, rather than the REAL process, which frequently is not even recognized and includes customs and beliefs, as well as procedures.
(3) Asking and listening, in order first to understand and appreciate the various perspectives which come to be characterized as "politics." This mindset, including recognizing and reconciling conflicts, is most important for discovering the REAL, business requirements that provide value when accomplished. The techniques described are good starts, and a number of additional methods are available to help, especially the Problem Pyramid?.
However, in my experience, people most often use the term "politics" to rationalize seemingly irrational decisions which they don't agree with. Note, equally irrational decisions that one agrees with are never characterized as "politics."
Robin Goldsmith
Author of Discovering REAL Business Requirements for Software Project Success